Dallas Cowboys Blog

Cowboys safety Barry Church to fill in if Gerald Sensabaugh can’t play

IRVING – On Monday, Gerald Sensabaugh was seen wearing a protective boot that covered his sprained right foot. When asked by reporters whether he’d play Thursday against Miami, the Cowboys starting safety responded, “I plan on it.”

But what if he can’t? Who will carry out his job?

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett wouldn’t say.

“We have backup safeties,” Garrett explained Tuesday. “We have backup corners. We’ll just work different secondary people there.”

Not long after Garrett delivered his coy response, Barry Church gave everybody a quick summary of the contingency plan the Cowboys will carry out if Sensabaugh is inactive.

“If he’s down,” Church said, “I’m going to jump right up in there.”

Church, a second-year safety, revealed that he has been working alongside the starters this week, handling all of the first-team repetitions while Sensabaugh has been unable to practice. Although Garrett didn’t want to tip his hand, Church’s temporary promotion wasn’t a surprising development.

Twice before, Church has filled in when Sensabaugh suffered a concussion during a game. He did so last December, in the Cowboys’ 33-30 victory over Washington. Then, when Sensabaugh was knocked out in the third quarter of Dallas’ 34-30 defeat to Detroit in October, Church replaced him once again.

“Just getting the experience and their confidence in me is helping me out a lot,” said

Church, who has played 152 snaps this season and has been deployed as an inside linebacker and cornerback. “I feel like I can step up in there.”

So does safety Abram Elam, who praised Church for taking advantage of his opportunities.

“He has been playing real well for us,” Elam said. “I know he’ll be ready when his number is called.”